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Tom Gillies, the former Geelong defender, is also a strong chance to play for the Demons for the first time, and 25-year-old mature draftee Matt Jones, from Box Hill, could well make the 22 on the basis of an impressive pre-season.

Gillies would likely be used as a ''third'' defender, in effect replacing Jared Rivers, who has crossed to Gillies' old club to play that role.

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Byrnes is earmarked as a small forward, while Rodan plays mainly midfield. Viney is a bona fide inside-midfielder with some experience in the VFL last year, albeit he did play just twice at that level before a broken jaw ended his season.

Teenager Toumpas, selected at No. 4 in the 2012 draft, won a flag at SANFL level with Woodville-West Torrens in 2011, when he mixed midfield and forward duties, but missed most of last season after hip surgery.

Whether it brings in six, seven or eight, Melbourne's anticipated influx of new players for round one will be the most by an established club for some time.

If the Demons did select eight newcomers, this would still be surpassed by Carlton's team for the opening game of 2004, when Denis Pagan's team introduced an astonishing nine players. Of that nine, seven had played at AFL level previously and two had played VFL.

The Demons cannot consider the player who might prove their most consequential recruit, Jesse Hogan, who was acquired as an elite 17-year-old from Greater Western Sydney. Hogan is ineligible to be picked in the regular season, though this restriction was waived for the NAB Cup.

Melbourne has lost a dozen players from its 2012 list to either delistings, trades and retirements. Brad Green and Clint Bartram retired, the experienced Rivers and Brent Moloney found other clubs via free agency, while five others, including Liam Jurrah, were delisted.

Stef Martin was traded to the Brisbane Lions, Jordan Gysberts was exchanged to North for Pedersen, and Cale Morton was traded to West Coast for a late pick.